Record changing device



y D. "r. ALLEN RECORD CHANGING DEVICE Filed April 3, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1- a? and/Mia.

July 17, 1934.

D. T. ALLEN RECORD CHANGING DEVICE Filed A ril 5. 1930 4 Sheeis-Sheet 2 July 17, 1934. D. T. ALLEN RECORD CHANGING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5.

- Filed April '3, 1930 July 17, 1934. D. T. ALLEN ,5

RECORD CHANGING DEVICE Filed April 5. 19:50 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented July 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECORD CHANGING DEVICE ware Application April 3, 1930, Serial No. 441,283 9 Claims. (Cl. 274-) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in record changing devices, and has as one of its objects to simplify and reduce the cost thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide means from which a plurality of records may be hung above a turntable in such a manner that the lowermost record is easily released and conducted to the turntable in proper time relation to other functions of the'mechanism.

Anotherobject of this invention is to provide simple means for releasing the lowermost record from its support.

Another object of this invention is to support a plurality of records above a turntable by hanging them on a hook with the records disposed at such an angle that inter-record friction is reduced.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of novel means for lifting the reproducer or pick-up at the proper time from its final playing position on therecord which has been played and moving it off of the played rec-.

ord to permit another record to be placed on the turntable.

A-further object of this invention resides in the provision of a continuously rotating cam and a camfollower intermittently engaged therewith for effecting the record changing, and reproducer shifting operations.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a cam rotating continuously with the turntable and a cam follower adapted to be engaged therewith upon completion of a record on the turntable to effect the operation of the record changing mechanism.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of extremely simple means for simultaneously lifting the reproducer unit from the record, shifting it to a position disengaged from the record, and for placing another record on the turntable.

A still further object of this invention resides in the provision of means connected with an au tomatiestop mechanism, the action of which is controlled by the radial movement of the reproducer unit carrying arm, to engage a cam follower with a continuously rotating cam and thus eifect operation of the record changing mechanism.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a novel cam which embodies means for positively disengaging its follower at the end of one revolution.

It isalso an object of this invention to provide a yielding means for releasing records'of varying diameters from their support.

And a still further object of this invention re-' sides in the provision of electric switch means for controlling the operation of the drive motor whereby removal of the last record from the support and the completion of said record opens two interdependent switches and disconnects the motor from its source of energy.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being 0 understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated two complete examples of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best modes I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof. In these drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a record changing device embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof with parts broken away and in section;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken through Figure 2 on the plane of the line 3-3;

Figure 4 is a top plan view; A

Figure 5 is a detail bottom view of the automatic stop mechanism;

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the under side of the base adjacent the automatic stop mechanism and illustrating its relation to the continuously rotating cam;

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view of the record carying arm mounting means;

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view taken through Figure 7 on the plane of the line 88;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electrical connections of I the operating motor;

Figure 10 is a detail view showing. a portion of the cam and its follower, and

Figure ii is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a slightly modified form of record tripping means.

Referring, now, more particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several v ews, the numeral 11 represents a base plate upno on which the various elements are mounted and which is adapted to rest on supports forming part of an enclosing cabinet or the like, not shown. Mounted upon the base 11 is a conventionalturntable 12 adapted to support one or more records 13 in playing position, a reproducer unit or electric pick-up 14 being mounted for horizontal and vertical swinging movement from a standard 15, and a supporting member 16 being provided from which the records to be played hang in stacked relation above the turntable to be released and dropped, one at a time, onto the turntable or the played records already thereon.

The mechanism for lifting the reproducer unit or pick-up from a record on the turntable and moving it to a position permitting another record to drop to playing position, as well as the means for releasing the lowermost of the stack of records hanging from the support 16, is mounted beneath the base 11 and receives its motive power from an electric motor 17 which also serves to drive the turntable.

Generally, the mechanism for changing the records comprises a cam 18 rotating continuously with the turntable motor, a cam follower 19 intermittently engaged with the cam by a finger 20 carried by an automatic stop mechanism to be later described, within the mounting standard 15, and pivotally mounted members 21 and 22. The member 21 carries the cam follower and has a part extending through an opening 23 in the base plate to lift and convey the reproducer or pick-up, in a manner to be later described, and the member 22 is acted upon by the member 21 to release the lowermost of the plurality of records hung from the arm 16. l

The cam 18 is drivingly connected with the turntable motor 17 by having its mounting shaft 24, which is journaled in a bearing formed at the lower end of a bracket 25, connected with a shaft 26 through a flexible coupling 2'7. The shaft 26 is suitably journaled in bearings carried by the motor housing and has a geared con nection 28 with the turntable spindle 29, which is drivingly connected with the motor shaft 30 through worm and worm wheel gearing 31. Collars 32 secured to the shaft 24 at opposite sides of its bearing at the lower end of the bracket 25 secure the same and consequently the cam 18 in proper position relative to the cam follower 19.

The cam follower consists of a rod 33 freely slidably mounted in aligned apertures in the member 21 and the outer down-turned end of an arm 34 carried by the member 21. The end of the rod 33 adjacent the cam 18 mounts the cam follower proper, which, as best illustrated in Figure 10, is substantially cone shaped to, in the event of partial engagement with the cam, draw itself onto the correspondingly inclined peripheral edge of the cam as the load is taken'up. A flange 35 at the inner end of the follower proper serves to limit axial movement thereof onto the cam and cooperates with an offset portion 36 adjacent the low period of dwell of the cam which positively disengages the follower at the completion of one revolution.

As hereinbefore brought out, engagement of the follower with the cam is effected by actuation of the finger 20 which forms part of an automatic stop mechanismhoused within the standard 15 and, as will be hereinafter mow fully described, the movement of the finger 20 is yieldable, being effected by a contractile spring. Hence, when the pick-up or reproducer unit reaches its final playing position and the automatic stop mechanism is tripped, the finger 20 is yieldingly urged toward the rod 33 to move the follower into operative engagement with the cam,'such engagement, however, being possible only when the follower is in line with the low part of the cam.

In the event the follower is not in line with the low part of. the cam at the time the automatic stop mechanism is tripped, the finger 20 will yieldably urge the forward end of the fol- .lower against the face of the cam until its low part reaches the same. The stored energy of the spring actuating the finger 20 will then move the follower over the peripheral edge 01 the cam where it remains until forcibly disengaged by the projection 36.

' The member 21 which carries the cam follower is pivotally mounted, as at 37,, from the underside of the base plate and normally retains its inactive position illustrated in Figure 6. When in this position, the downwardly directed portion of member 21 beneath the pivot 37 engages a stop 37, and the axis of the cam follower is aligned with the finger 20 ready to :be engaged with the low part of the cam. En-

gagement of the follower with the cam and the cams subsequent rotation causes the member 21 to swing about its pivotal mounting to its active position shown in Figure 2.

The upper portion 38 of the member 21 which projects through the opening 23 has a table 39 secured thereto, which, upon movement of the member 21 to active position, lifts the reproducer unit or electric pick-up 14 from its record engaging position and slides it to one side by engaging a rounded projection 40 at one end 41 of a member 42 secured in any suitable manner to the arm of the pick-up. During its elevation, the table 39 does not retain its normal horizontal position, but is tilted, as

best illustrated in Figure 2, to provide an inclined surface down which the rounded projection 40 slides, until an inwardly and downwardly directed portion 43 on the end 44 of the member 42 engages the top of a post 44' projected upwardly from the base.

During the initial elevation of the table 39 by the cam, the major movement of the pickup is in an upward direction, but as the table nears its limit of movement, the sidewise swinging movement of the pick-up accelerates so that by the time the high point of the cam engages its follower, the pick-up arm will have assumed the position of rest shown in Figures 2 and 4, at which it is beyond the periphery of records on the turntable topermit the next record to drop from the support.

As the high point of the cam engages the follower, and the member 21 reaches its limit of pivotal movement, an adjusting screw 45 carried at the outer end of the lower portion 46 of the member 21 engages a projection 47 carried by the member 22 to release the lowermost of the plurality of records hanging from 1 the member 16.

the screw 45 engages is secured to an arm 49 extended laterally therefrom'so that the membt is rocked in its bearings. At two points equidistant from a li e drawn through the axis of the turntable and at right angles to the r-ember 22, arms are extended to have their upwardly and. inwardly clirecterl portions The p l] cred through openings iii in the base.

e" ems ends of the arms are connecterl by a b ge plate 2 which ii 5 e. central projection encl a ecljustebly se thereto m to record, engages the periphery of the lowermost record and lifts the same. from the heel: 55.

.: y hanging the records at an angle, interrecord friction is, reduced, thus insuring the release of only one record at atime enabling a slight pressure to efiect the release. Upon being disengaged-from the hook 55, the record slides down the lower end 5'? of the member 15, which is curved downwardly and normally posi=- tioneci directly above and. in axial alignment with the turntable spindle. The records, as they are released from the book :56, are thus positively guided into proper playing position on the turntable or on the records already on the turntable, the spindle 29 being suiiiciently igh to accommodate the desired number of records.

For simplicity of structure, the two arms 50 may be replaced by a single arrri'ilil' (see Figure 11), locatecl' centrally with respect to the records hung from the book as and the pets 54 may be "omitted, the necessary slioulc er for tripping the records being formed by an offset produced by recessing the forward enlarged end The extension or finger 4'2 with which the screw e5 engages to effect rocking movement of the member 22 is preferably-formed of flexible spring metal to preclude records slightly larger than a predetermined diameter being jammed between the plate 5% end the member 1?. In other words, he flexibility of tire extension 3;? provides a firm but yielding for the mere- 22 io accommodate any excess "motion,

The dropping oi the lowermost record lions;

from the hook, to playing position, takes place while the reprerlucer unit or pic 9 312 is in its position illustrated in ii I585 s soon as the higlr noint or". care 2 i'ollewer and perm s ilie 39 to its normal horizonte a eeee'ro base plate ll. An exiel pin (not shown) pro jectecl upwardly from the base so forms pivotal mounting for the casing or shell 58 encl consequently the piclr---up.

Extending diametrically across the bottom the 60 Within a, suitable depression iii,- nivotelly mounted on e, $2 is a latch lever end of the lever 63 sires- Sl I1glibl6 with a. member a, recess es 'tiierein, so ti movement need in r permits the member 65 t0 moved. The ember 65 has so enlarged enci 6"! win ivotelly mounted from the bottom of me base as 58 and a. contractile spring 69 having end connected with the member e5, as at 78, and its other end as at 31, normally 'ieldel'oly urges the member 65 inwardly, the engagement of the lee; fi-l witi'i'the member 65 holding it in latched position against the action oi the spring 69.

AS the reproducer unit reaches the end of the record, the shell 58 will have revolved to e position at which a. stop 72 carried iliereby abuts a tripping lever 13. The lever 73 is pivoted to the case 68, as at M, and is adapted, upon movement by the stop 72, to more a lever 75 which is also pivoted to the base 50, as at we, and cause its free end 77 to engage a pin '18 carried by the lever 63 to move the same and align its lugs cc with the recess 56 in the member 65. This releases the member 65 for movement by its spring 69.

The member 65 carries the ringer 20 which, as hereinbefore described, reflects the engagement of the. cam follower with the cam, so that the record changing mechanism is claceri in operation upon completion of the record being played. The finger 20 is mounted on the member s5 by ha ling its inner laterally directed end 79 riveted or otherwise secured to a block of insulating material 88* fixed to the member 85.

The means for securing the enri "IQ of the finger 2!) to the insulating block 80 else mounts a switch contector 8i and a terminal 82 with Which-e conductor 83 is connected. The conteotor ill and the conductor 83 form part of the circuit illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 55 which connects the motor 1'? wit-lithe service lines L and L and the centeetor s1 is to normally engage the freeeml oi e. stationery contact iii carried by a block of insoletlnr; me teriel as fixed the base cc and from which a, confluctor 36 extends.

line stetienery conteet s4 enrl contractor inns one of e, ceir switches it'iiicli nnecti the i? Wit-ii the lever 73.

The finger 20 is thus moved to its normal position and the switch provided by the contactor 81 and the contact 84 closed, in which position the mechanism remains until the completion of the next record when the resulting rotation of the shell 58 again trips the lever 73.

It is noted that the member with which the lever 73 cooperates has a light spring normally urging the same in its direction tending to move the lever 63 to tripping position; the spring 90, however, being weaker than the spring 89, will not cause such movement of the lever 73 unassisted by the action of the tripping This structure enables a stronger spring 69 to be used without effecting the delicacy of the tripping action, or, in other words, without requiring additional force to trip the mechanism.

The member 16 from which the records to be played are hung, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, is of substantially inverted U shape with its downwardly projecting end 5'7 curved and normally disposed in axial alignment with the turntable spindle and with its opposite end 91, which is preferably of larger diameter, detachably secured to a mounting stem 92. The stem 92 projects downwardly through an opening 93 in the base plate and is pivotally mounted, as at 94, between the side walls 95 of a housing 96 secured to the underside of the base plate.

A spring 97, see Figures '7 and 8, is secured to one side wall 95 of the housing and has an end portion 98 projected through an opening 99 therein to extend into the path of the stem 92 beneath the pivot 94. As best shown in Figure 8, the stem is spaced slightly from the spring to permit a degree of unrestricted movement of the stem toward the spring, for a pur pose to be later described.

An expansive spring 100, confined between an aperture formed in the stem 92 beneath its pivot 94 and an adjustable cup 101, yieldably urges the lower end of the stem toward the spring 98, and tends at all times to swing the stem 92 and consequently the member 16 carried thereby about its pivot to open a switch indicated generally by the, numeral 102. The switch is the second of the switches hereinbefore referred to and is connected in parallel with the switch formed by the contactor 81 and the contact 84 to control the connection of the turntable motor with the line.

In the present embodiment, the switch 102 is illustrated as consisting of two complementary contactors 103 and 104, the former being mounted on an insulating base secured to one end wall of the housing and the latter being carried by an insulating base fixed to the lower end ofthe stem 92. Conductors 105 and 106 lead from the contactors 103 and 104, respectively, to be connected with the conductors 86 and 83, respectively, see Figure 9.

As the spring is overbalanced/ by the weight of a single record supported on the hook 56, the switch 102 is held closed as long as one record remains to be played, release of the last record permitting the spring 100 to move the member -l6 to its position illustrated in dotted lines A in Figure 2 to open the switch 102. The motor 17, however, is not disconnected from the lines by such opening of the switch 102, as the switch within the automatic stop mechanism has been closed by the return of the reproducer unit carrying arm to its initial playing position.

Hence, it is obvious that at the completion of the last record and the consequent opening of the switch within the automatic stop mechanism, the motor is disconnected from the lines to completely stop the mechanism.

Movement of the member 16 about its pivotal mounting produced by the record or records hung from its hook is positively limited after the switch 102 is closed, by the engagement of the lower end of the stem 92 with a pin 107.

To facilitate loading or placing the stack of records to be played on the member 16, it is movable to the dotted line position B in Figure 2 against the action of the spring 98, the friction between the spring and the stem 92 maintaining the same in its record receiving position until manually moved to normal position.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In combination with a turntable adapted to receive records, means for supporting a plurality of stacked records above the turntable, said means engaging the records at their centers and supporting them in an inclined plane, and tripping means in constant engagement with and supporting the edge of the lowermost record to shift the same laterally for disengagement from the supporting means and movement to the turntable and means to move said tripping means for actuating said record changing mech-- anism including a continuously moving cam, a member adapted to be engaged with the cam means connected on said member to actuate the record changing mechanism, and means whereby said member is engaged with the cam in predetermined time relation to the cycle of operation of the mechanism..

3. In a device of the character described, a turntable adapted to receive a record, a reproducer unit adapted for playing engagement with a record on said turntable, a magazine for records to be played, cyclically operated mechanism,

for effecting the transfer of a record from the magazine onto the turntable, means for actuating said mechanism and including a continuously moving cam, a cam follower engageable therewith, means for engaging the cam follower with the cam in predetermined time relation to the cycle of operation of the mechanism, and means on said cam to disengage said follower therefrom.

4. In a device of the character described, a magazine for records to be played, a turntable adapted to receive records to be played, means for effecting the transfer of an unplayed record from the magazine to the turntable, and means for actuating said last-mentioned means including a cam rotating continuously with the turntable. I

5. In a device of the character described, a magazine for records to be played, a turntable adapted to receive a record to be played, a drive motor for the turntable, means for effecting the transfer of an unplayed record from the magazine to the turntable including a cam drivingly connected with the motor to move continuously during operation thereof, a follower normally out of engagement with the cam, and means for engaging the follower with the cam after the completion of the record being played.

6. In a device of the character described, a magazine for records to be played, a turntable adapted to receive a record to be played, means for effecting the transfer of an unplayed record from the magazine to the turntable, means for actuating said last-mentioned means including a continuously moving cam having a low part, a cam follower engageable with the cam when the same aligns with the low part thereof, and yieldable means for moving the follower to engagementv with the cam whereby the follower will be yieldably urged toward the cam until its low part aligns therewith whereupon said yieldable means engages'the follower with the cam.

'7. In a device of the character described, a turntable adapted to receive a record, means from which a plurality of stacked records may be hung to drop to playing position on the tumtable upon being disengaged from said means a reproducer unit adapted for playing engagement with a record on the turntable, and means for simultaneously lifting the reproducer unit from a record on the turntable and shifting it laterally and for releasing one of the plurality of records for movement onto the turntable, said means including a continuously moving cam, a

pivoted member, and a cam follower carried by said pivoted member and engageable intermittently with the continuously moving cam.

8. In a device'of the character described, a rotatable cam, a follower engageable with the cam, a member mounting the follower and adapted upon engagement of the follower with the cam to be moved out of normal position, said member being returned to normal position at the completion of one revolution of the cam, and means for positively disengaging the follower from the cam as said member returns to normal position.

9. Ina device of the character described having record playing means including a turntable and a reproducer unit adapted'for playing engagement with a record carried by the turntable, means for lifting the reproducer unit from the record and shifting it beyond the record periphery after the same has been played to permit depositing of another record on the turntable, and stop means for limiting the lateral shifting of the reproducer unit including an inclined member on the unit adapted to effect movement of the reproducer unit to engage the same with the beginning of the unplayed record.

DONALD ;T. ALLEN.

no i s 

